What does heritage mean to the people who live in Walsall today? For the first cohort of Making Our Mark, community groups explored that question through textiles, photography, personal memories, music and dance. Their projects celebrated the traditions people have carried with them, the connections they have made and the stories that now form part of Walsall’s shared identity.

Stories were blooming alongside the flowers at Caldmore Community Garden on Saturday 20th June.. As part of Making Our Mark, local people took part in a series of storytelling workshops led by Bostin Arts, sharing memories, experiences and reflections on what this much-loved community space means to them.

As the first cohort of groups taking part in Making our Mark has now ended, it feels like the right moment to pause, reflect and celebrate the creativity, care and connection that has been unfolding across Walsall.

Are you a creative business or creator in the Walsall area? If so, applications for the brand-new Guildhall Incubation Programme are now open!

Last week at Brownhills Community Centre, The Lamp’s Friendship Group and Places of Welcome UK coffee morning welcomed guests to get creative with a hands on Clay Tile Workshop led by artist Ruth Radcliffe.

If you are a community group interested in starting a new heritage project you can apply to Making our Mark NOW!

In a leafy corner of Willenhall Memorial Park, something quietly powerful has been growing. What began as a casual conversation during a walk through Fibbersley Nature Reserve has blossomed into a vibrant writing group rooted in creativity, community and connection to place.

In 2024, Creative Black Country solidified a meaningful partnership with whg (Walsall Housing Group) to launch a new artist-in-residence initiative. Hosted across their recently opened over-55s wellbeing schemes, Lockside Pointe in Walsall and Nightingale House in Wolverhampton…

From May 2024 to May 2025, Art Road Trip – the National Gallery’s travelling art studio – visited 18 locations across the UK. In March 2025, the colourful mobile studio rolled into the Black Country for two lively weeks of creative activity in Walsall and Wolverhampton.

Making our Mark is now underway in Walsall. At the beginning of July we met some of members of he first five groups who have received the project’s small grants.

Walsall is a place rich with stories—of traditions passed down through generations, of communities shaped by migration, resilience and creativity. Now, a new opportunity is opening up for local groups to shine a light on their own unique histories through Making Our Mark, a community-led heritage project supported by The National Lottery Heritage Fund.

During 2024 we were busy building on our community and creative relationships across Walsall with a series of collaborative projects, pop-ups, opportunities, commissions and partnerships that we hope will redefine local places, instil local pride and create a sense of cultural confidence.

Thank you to everyone that came along to Walsall in December to celebrate 6 months of creativity across the borough.

Hannah and Lisa hosted 5 creative workshops throughout November and December 2024 focussing on hand sewing and making items to combat the cold weather.

Musician Millicent Chapanda led a series of workshops with Afrikan Fusion over 6 weeks culminating in live performances.

The Hidden Hands of Walsall procession took place in the town centre at the end of November and has been captured in this beautiful film by Carl Gibbons.

Walsall is positioning itself as one of the most creative areas in the Black Country, with a host of innovative projects and collaborations shaping a vibrant cultural future.

Bostin Creatives organised a beautiful inclusive day of free festivities and activities for the whole family at the Walsall Hub including: Drop in crafts, Christmas card making, live music, festive storytelling and games and a Christmas performance.

The Hidden Hands of Walsall engaged with a group of women from diverse and often migrant backgrounds living in Walsall who regularly meet at Simple Steps CIC and Aaina Community Hub.

The team at Walsall Creative Factory didn’t let the horrible weekend weather spoil their plans as they delivered a stunning example of community resilience and creativity with their lantern trail representing local history and diversity.